Interview With Wanda of Survivor: Palau by LauraBelle
RS: Hi Wanda! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions! If you had been one to win initial immunity to begin picking teams, who would you have picked first?
Wanda: At the time, Ian, without a doubt. I thought he was physically and mentally strong and was a very friendly and personable young man.
I also found Tom, Gregg, Coby, and Bobby Jon to have very good qualities. I really feel that all the guys were my friends. We had an awesome group from which to choose!
RS: How did you spend your time in Palau after leaving the game so early?
Wanda: Jolanda and I had some sea kayaking adventures and did some exploring of the island where we were staying. The best thing about my Survivor experience was the close friendship that Jolanda and I forged. We will be getting together this summer for a week of backpacking, hiking, swimming, and other outdoor activities.
We had also been told to bring books to read in case we were eliminated early. I did not expect to get to read them; I fully expected to be in at least the final six (doing as well as Caryn did), and I had serious final two hopes. However, since I was out early, I read the following books in Palau: Ghost Soldiers, by Hampton Sides, about a prison camp in the Philippines in World War II; Understanding Globalization, by Robert K. Schaeffer, a college text on understanding international connectedness; Did Adam and Eve have Navels? by Martin Gardner, some essays on pseudo-science; Me Talk Pretty Some Day, some light essays by David Sedaris, and Words and Rules, a linguistics book by Steven Pinker. There was a hammock hung from a tree out over the beach, and I loved having quiet time to read there. Yes, I finished all five of those books.
We also had the chance to do some scuba diving and snorkeling. I had gotten LASIK eye surgery in August so I would not need glasses for the show; therefore, I could not scuba because there is too much pressure on the eyes at scuba depths during the six-months recovery period. However, I went along on the boat to a couple other islands and lagoons and did some swimming and beach exploring while some of the others had scuba lessons.
The Survivor staff went out of their way to make our experience pleasant. They had a huge table full of all kinds of board games for us to play, and they even brought a pool table and karaoke in for us. Just getting to know the Survivor staff was wonderful.
It was the best vacation I ever had in my life, or ever will have, I'm sure. I wrote Mark Burnett a thank you note.
RS:You had an interesting strategy to entertain your fellow Survivors. Had you lasted longer what other strategies would you have employed?
Wanda: My major strategy was BOB -- "Bond of the Best." My advance plan was to ally myself in my tribe with the two strongest males and the other strongest female. Strong males are often voted out because they are threats. I always hated, as a viewer, to see good, strong people leave the game and weaker, "UTR" (under the radar) people win. I planned to tell the Strong Men that the rest wanted to vote them out, but I was there to keep them in. (Perhaps, then, if they won reward challenges, I would get invited to go along!) Seeing guys like Hunter or Brady go out early in previous seasons always hurt! I was for Survival of the Fittest, not Annihilation of the Fittest.
As it turned out, Katie pretty much filled the role I intended to fill, so that two wonderful guys did go to the end. Katie did two things I intended to do: 1) be fun and entertaining, and 2) ally with the strong. However, I think I would have been different than Katie in two important ways: 1) I am hard-working, never lazy, and 2) I am positive and supportive, not likely ever to be mean, and very rarely sarcastic.
Also, I think the game revolves around "Players" and their "Pawns," and it almost seemed that Katie was tapped from the word go to be a pawn for Tom and Ian. Tom and Ian did the planning, and Katie mostly went along for their ride. I intended to be a player, not a pawn. I had hoped to set up the foursome, not just get invited to join somebody else's setup.
I believe the biggest mistake I made was not to begin making alliances on Day Two. Tom and Ian did, and won the game right then. I wanted to wait until we had tribes, to see who I would be working with; I never expected the pick-up game and the necessity of cross-gender alliances by day 3. I have a sense of fairness, and I wanted to evaluate people as long as possible before setting up an alliance. Sometimes you don't know enough in two days to make the best judgment, and switching alliances, as we know, can create terrible problems later in the game!
RS: With your english teaching background, do you do any writing other than your songs?
Wanda: Googlers have discovered that I did some serious theological writing a decade ago. I wrote a couple theological treatises and was a monthly contributor to a journal. I've outgrown that genre. I now write essays sometimes (there are examples under "Wacky" and "Wise" on my website -- www.wackywanda.com ).
I began a personal journal last July 15 (the day I got my first phone call from Survivor casting! I was so excited!) and kept it until May 16, after the reunion show. I detailed a lot of my personal training, stories about the interviews, and all about my experience and thoughts in Palau. I have shared it with some friends who have found it very interesting, but I am not allowed to release it at this time.
RS: What did you and Jonathan talk about on the boat after you weren't chosen?
Wanda: I talked with Jonathan all about his life -- his family, his brief experience with cancer last summer, his experiences being selected for the Survivor cast. I wanted to learn everything I could about the lives of my fellow-castaways, and if I couldn't do it in-game, I figured I might as well start in post-game! Jonathan and I have been very supportive of each other in our disappointing experience, and I have appreciated his friendship.
RS: Were you surprised that you started the game with only the clothes on your back and had to make do wearing your slip?
Wanda: Terribly surprised! Many of us were in tough situations, but mine was probably the toughest. Some people's "work clothes" -- let's say Ian's, as a dolphin trainer -- were to some extent conducive to playing the game. As a teacher, I did not want to be on television in my underwear, which is what some of my fellow castaways stripped to. I actually kept the dress on most of the first two days, but it was much too hot. I teach in a much cooler environment, especially by November!
Coby said I looked like a "judgmental, Bible-thumping school-marm" (those were his exact words; I remembered them and wrote them in my journal) in that dress, and after he conversed with me and got to know me a little bit, he was surprised to find how open-minded, accepting, and non-judgmental a person I am. In fact, one of my purposes in becoming a Survivor was to have the opportunity to meet, live with, and work with people who are very different from me.
Being forced to wear that dress had a very detrimental effect on my game. It made me look old-fashioned and like someone who did not even have the sense to dress appropriately for a camping situation. I expected to wear the dress only for one photo.
RS: If you had made it to the jury, who would you have voted for and why?
Wanda: Jolanda, if I could have! She is not only physically and mentally awesome, but she has character and compassion. She is a wonderful woman, and I'm so glad to have her as a friend.
RS: Given the choices of Tom or Katie, who would you have chosen?
Wanda: I would definitely have voted for Tom.In challenges, he was mentally and physically a superior person. He is the kind of person who should be a Survivor winner. He has a wonderful family, too! I am delighted to see that a father has won and has the opportunity to do special things for and with his family. Some young people may be able to handle a million dollars wisely, but in general I think that people who are a little older and have experienced some tough times and sorrows will be wiser and more compassionate, less self-indulgent, with the bonanza.
RS: If you were asked to come back for another season of Survivor, would you try it again?
Wanda: There is nothing I would like more in life than the chance to play the game Survivor! (I did not get to play Survivor. I never got a tribe or a buff or a seat at Tribal Council or one vote against me.) I wrote this rap for the reunion show but did not have time to do it:
I was FUN from Day ONE
And I'm strong and I'm smart
And I came to play with all of my heart,
But the bachelors came --
they were short a rose --
So the oldest gal was sure to get hosed.
Now I'm sorry Cobe said that my songs could annoy,
'Cause I really came to be fun and bring joy!
And Willard called me a lunatic?
Well I'm saner than he is, and twice as fit!*
So I'm still gonna sing, and I'm still gonna dance,
And please, Mark Burnett -- GIVE ME ONE MORE CHANCE!
I think some people would have liked the rap style better than the song, but I was advised to do the song; it was more positive. We didn't want any "sour grapes" sounds at the reunion show.
Let me say again: I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want another chance, a real chance. I hope more than anything that someday there will be a "Second Chance Survivor" or "Last Chance Survivor" show to bring back good people who were eliminated early,(as threats or for whatever other reason) and that I get to play. SURVIVOR IS THE BEST GAME EVER INVENTED!
RS: We would consider it a great honor if you would write a theme song for us here at Reality Shack. Care to indulge us?
Wanda: On Friday at 3:45 Eastern Time I will be doing a fifteen minute spot on www.thefishbowl.com, and they asked me for a song too! I have this ready for them, to the tune of "Puff the Magic Dragon":
Living in a fishbowl, everyone can see
Everything you do or say -- there is no privacy!
Some celebs will love it; some will try to hide;
But put your questions to us here and you'll be glad you tried!
OH, WWW. the fish bowl dot com!
Call your questions in today -- you'll find that we're the bomb!
I don't usually come up with more than four lines on an impromptu basis. First I have to know a little something about my subject, and then I have to give it a little thought -- sometimes a few hours, sometimes a few days. I wrote a couple songs for Caryn's daughter's bat mitzvah, and Caryn supplied me with information about Isabel so that I could really personalize what I wrote. I also wrote some stuff for Coby's sister's family. I will have to check out your website and learn a little more about you and take a little time to see what I can do for you. Maybe I can get back to you on this.
RS: Thank you, Wanda, for answering these questions and entertaining us in your short time on Palau.
Be sure to check out Wanda's fabulous and fun website at wackywanda.com.
Editor's note: Wanda did indeed write a song for us, and you can find it right here. Thank you Wanda - we absolutely love it!
I welcome all questions and comments at LauraBelle@realityshack.com
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